Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- After a tough first half, Biola responded with a solid second half and battled No. 4 Westmont to the wire before falling 56-47 in a GSAC contest at Chase Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
The Eagles (9-5, 2-3 GSAC) were led by Emily Drews, who scored nine of her team-high 14 points in the second half, adding seven rebounds and two steals.Chelsea Hill came off the bench to score 10 for Biola.
However, the Warriors (15-1, 5-0 GSAC) proved to be too much in the end as Tugce Canitez scored 16 points and Lisa Peterson added 15 in the winning effort.
The game started out slow for both teams, which combined to score just 14 points through the first 10 minutes. A basket by Charrise Reece pulled Biola to within two at 8-6 at the halfway point of the period. But Westmont used a 12-0 run over the next four minutes to break the game open.
Biola slowly clawed back into the game and cut the gap to seven on a bucket by Hill to make it a 24-17 game. Peterson answered back with a basket on the other end and took a 26-17 lead to the locker.
The Eagles struggled from the field in the first half, hitting just 27.6% (8-of-29). However, strong defense kept Biola in the game, forcing 14 Westmont turnovers.
In the second half, both teams caught fire, combining for 24 points through the first four minutes. The Eagles weren't able to get any closer than nine those as the teams went back and forth quickly.
Westmont broke the see-saw battle open with back-to-back three-pointers to stretch the lead up to 15 at 44-29 with 13:25 to play. The Warriors kept up the lead over the next five minutes, but Biola came alive late, using a 9-0 run to cut the lead down to five.
Drews started the run with a three-pointer to make it a 50-39 game with 8:15 to go, then followed with a jumper on the fast break to get the lead back under double-figures. Amy Freet hit a jumper two minutes to cut the lead to seven, then a pair of Drews free throws made it a five-point game.
But that would be the closest Biola would get. Despite holding Westmont without a field goal over the final 8:31 of the contest, the Warriors would hit free throws down the stretch to hold on to the lead.
The Eagles shot better in the second half, hitting 38.7% (12-of-31) to finish just over 33% in the contest. Westmont hit 46.7% overall, but Biola forced 23 turnovers to stay in the game.
The loss was yet another close defeat against a nationally-ranked team. Biola is 1-5 against ranked teams this year, but have been in all but one of the games until the very end.
Biola hits the road for its next game, traveling to San Diego for a GSAC contest against Point Loma Nazarene University on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
